When it’s hotter than hell … how can you tell if you smell?

Here’s what to do if you’re feeling hot and sweaty and wondering if your body odour is wafting over other people

This time of year, people can get a little smelly. Researchers at the universities of York and Oxford this week identified the structure of the molecule that enables bacteria to act on the odourless compounds secreted in sweat. They hope their work, which is funded by Unilever, will facilitate a deodorant to inhibit the process that causes body odour instead of killing the natural microbes on our skin. It will take years for such a product to come to market, so while you wait, how can you tell if you smell?